NISBET AND LOCKHART RIVERS 547 



not long away, while prospecting ; but on their return they found 

 the saddle stripped of its cloth and hair and all of its iron, even to 

 the brass-headed tacks. They found tracks following on ours to 

 near our present camp. Strange to say, the carcase of the mare 

 was untouched. 



Yesterday afternoon we saw the blacks' camp fires spring up 

 on a gully about half a mile up the hill to the west of Camp 24. 

 To-day, Charlie descried some NATIVES crossing from one scrub to 

 another by a bare patch on a hill-side which commanded an excellent 

 view of our camp. About one o'clock I made them out with the 

 field-glass, standing in a group of five or six, with spears in their 

 hands, on another bare spot near the top of the hill, at a distance 

 which we guessed at about 1,000 yards, looking intently into our 

 camp. They offered a good mark, and we deemed it justifiable 

 in the circumstances to teach them that they were not safe even 

 at that distance. Crosbie and I took good aim, and fired simul- 

 taneously. One black, either bolder than the rest, or astonished, 

 or possibly wounded, stayed a second or two, but the others ran 

 for the nearest scrub at a breakneck pace. Another dodged back 

 in a few minutes and picked up a spear which he had left behind 

 in his haste. 



I believe that this LONG SHOT had a powerful effect on the mind 

 of the natives. Even the death of some of their number had not 

 deterred them, hitherto, from following and annoying us ; but from 

 this day forward we saw nothing more of them for two months, and 

 although we camped for a week within 5 miles of Camp 24, they 

 never even came on our track. 



Crosbie and I had designed to ascend the hill where we saw the 

 blacks, after dinner, to have a view ahead, but the heavy rain and 

 fog which began shortly after put it out of the question. 



January 12. Crosbie and I ascended the hill in the morning. 

 The blacks had moved their camp. We saw their smoke near the 

 foot of the hill, half a mile to the south. From the hill-top we saw 

 the sea, apparently only about 5 miles off, with low forest land 

 intervening between it and the range. No. VIII Island was 

 visible, its north end bearing E. 34 N., and its south end E. 32 N. 

 [No. VIII, or Lowrie Island, is in S. lat. 13 16' 30" and E. long. 

 143 3 6'.-R. L. J.] 



On coming down, we packed up and resumed our travels. We 

 had heavy rain while we were on the way, but fortunately it was 

 fair when we pitched our tents, which we did on an open ridge on 

 the left bank of a creek which I named HAYS CREEK, about 5 miles 

 in a general north-north-west direction from Camp 24. Hays 

 Creek (named after Mr. Walter Hays, of Townsville) falls into the 

 sea opposite No. VIII Island. (CAMP 25.) [Site of the present 

 HAYS CREEK PROVISIONAL GOLDFIELD, south of which, on the Nisbet 

 Fall, DODD'S REEF has been worked. R. L. J.] 



